Heat's Adam Simon Won't Pursue Bulls' Top Front-Office Position

Cross another candidate off the Chicago Bulls' list of candidates for their top front-office position. 

According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, the Miami Heat noted assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations Adam Simon will remain with the team and not pursue the position in the Windy City.

The Bulls haven't won a playoff series since the 2014-15 campaign, and frustration surrounding executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman has been the dominant feeling within the fanbase of late. It reached a point where fans were even chanting for them to be fired during All-Star Weekend in Chicago.

With that as the backdrop, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reported Friday that the team started a "formal search process to hire a new top executive with full authority on basketball decisions."

The plan was to interview multiple people to take over those decisions while Paxson was moved to an advisory position with a decision on Forman to come.

However, that search has met plenty of resistance in its first few days.

Michael Grange of Sportsnet reported the Toronto Raptors aren't likely to grant the Bulls permission to interview general manager Bobby Webster. What's more, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Indiana Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan declined an interview.

Add Simon to the list of potential candidates who will not be going to Chicago.

Simon has been with the Heat organization for 25 seasons and just ascended to his current position this season. Miami is also in better position competitively with the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference if the 2019-20 campaign resumes following the coronavirus pandemic and is widely seen as a free-agent destination with Pat Riley in charge. 

Chicago will have to look in a different direction, and K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reported the team received permission to interview Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik and Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas.